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Walia Special Edition on the Bale Mountains (2011) - Zoologische ...

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A Preliminary Assessment of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Bale</strong> M<strong>on</strong>key (Cercopi<strong>the</strong>cus djamdjamensis)<br />

Populati<strong>on</strong> Size and Habitat Use in <strong>the</strong> Harenna Forest<br />

Kumara Wakjira 1 , Menassie Gashaw 2 and Michelle Pinard 3*<br />

1 Ethiopian Wildlife C<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> Authority, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia<br />

2 Darwin Project <strong>on</strong> Biodiversity M<strong>on</strong>itoring in <strong>the</strong> Harenna, BMNP, Ethiopia<br />

3 Institute for Biological and Envir<strong>on</strong>mental Science, University of Aberdeen, UK<br />

*Email: m.a.pinard@abdn.ac.uk<br />

Abstract<br />

Surveys were c<strong>on</strong>ducted in December 06-January 07 (dry seas<strong>on</strong>) and in August 07 (wet seas<strong>on</strong>) in<br />

<strong>the</strong> Harenna Forest to provide a preliminary estimate of populati<strong>on</strong> size and distributi<strong>on</strong> of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Bale</strong><br />

m<strong>on</strong>key. A total of 163 km of transects were surveyed in three habitats, bamboo forest, bamboomixed<br />

forest and n<strong>on</strong>-bamboo forest. A total of 204 m<strong>on</strong>keys were observed, in 31 groups over an<br />

altitudinal range of 2200-3400 m a.s.l. Group size ranged from 2-20 (median = 5) and was similar<br />

for <strong>the</strong> two survey periods. M<strong>on</strong>keys were found <strong>on</strong>ly in bamboo and mixed-bamboo forest. A<br />

mean density of 9.6 ind/km2 (SE=8.8) and overall abundance of 1437 individuals (SE=1315) were<br />

estimated. The high variability associated with <strong>the</strong>se estimates is a c<strong>on</strong>sequence of small sample<br />

size. Repeated sampling and increased sampling effort within <strong>the</strong> sites is needed to increase <strong>the</strong><br />

reliability of <strong>the</strong> populati<strong>on</strong> estimates.<br />

Introducti<strong>on</strong><br />

The <strong>Bale</strong> m<strong>on</strong>key (Cercopi<strong>the</strong>cus djamdjamensis; Fig. 1) is c<strong>on</strong>sidered by some to be endemic to<br />

Ethiopia (Kingd<strong>on</strong> 1997), but its tax<strong>on</strong>omy is uncertain, and <strong>the</strong> tax<strong>on</strong>omic level appropriate for<br />

determining endemics is subject to debate. Neumann (1902) described <strong>the</strong> <strong>Bale</strong> m<strong>on</strong>key as a new<br />

species, Cercopi<strong>the</strong>cus djamdjamensis, naming it after <strong>the</strong> ‘Djam-Djam’ mountain, south of Dodola.<br />

Dandelot and Prevost (1972, cited by Shimada et al. 2002) fur<strong>the</strong>r described <strong>the</strong> <strong>Bale</strong> m<strong>on</strong>key as<br />

Cercopi<strong>the</strong>cus aethiops djamdjamensis, being a distinct form within <strong>the</strong> vervet and grivet m<strong>on</strong>keys’<br />

complex; a tax<strong>on</strong>omic examinati<strong>on</strong> was made using specimens collected from localities west of<br />

Dodola.<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>Walia</str<strong>on</strong>g>-<str<strong>on</strong>g>Special</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Editi<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Bale</strong> <strong>Mountains</strong> 80

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